A blog post arguing that PlayStation's discontinuation of game discs is 'not a matter of physical games versus digital games, but a matter of ownership' is gaining attention.

Sony Interactive Entertainment, the company behind the PlayStation brand, announced on July 1, 2026, that it will cease disc production for new PlayStation console games in January 2028, and that game titles will only be available as digital downloads. A blog post in response to the end of physical discs for PlayStation, stating 'This is not a question of physical games versus digital games, but a question of ownership,' has sparked considerable debate.

It's not about physical vs digital games, it's about ownership – Popcar's Blog
https://popcar.bearblog.dev/its-about-ownership/

Sony Interactive Entertainment explained the reason for discontinuing physical disc sales as follows: 'Considering customer purchasing trends and the overall shift in the entertainment industry from physical discs to digital, we will cease production of disc versions of all new games released for PlayStation consoles from January 2028 onwards.' Consequently, this will not affect titles already released or titles released as disc versions before January 2028, but new games released from January 2028 onwards will only be available as digital downloads on the PlayStation Store and at retailers.

PlayStation announces it will end disc production for new console games in January 2028, with only digital downloads available from then on - GIGAZINE

Regarding the discontinuation of physical disc sales, various opinions have been expressed, including 'If physical discs disappear, I'll leave PlayStation' and concerns about not being able to acquire physical games amid rising prices for game consoles and software.

Popcar, a game developer and freelancer, also expressed his frustration with the discontinuation of physical discs on his blog. According to Popcar, in many of the discussions on the internet, it seemed that people were either upset about the wrong things or didn't understand the issue at all. Popcar prefaced his remarks by saying, 'This isn't about whether physical games or digital games are better,' and then argued that the biggest problem with discontinuing physical discs is 'not that the discs themselves or the games are going to be put on the shelves, but that Sony is trying to completely take away ownership of them.'

Popcar describes ownership as 'the ability to trade.' The biggest advantage of owning something is the freedom to exchange it with anyone you like, and in the case of games, many people have likely experienced lending and borrowing games with friends and sharing them. However, with the elimination of discs, the concept of 'handing a game over to someone' disappears.

Popcar also stated that 'ownership is about preservation.' If the PlayStation 6 is released after physical discs have been discontinued, it is highly likely that it will not have a disc drive. To play older games, the only options are to have them ported to the PlayStation Store or to copy the data from the old discs, but copying the data will be protected by strong copy protection. 'This time, games may truly be lost,' Popcar warns.

When people complain about PlayStation going completely digital, they often counter with the argument that 'PCs are completely digital, but that's been accepted without any problems.' In response, Popcar points out that on PCs, you can buy games from various websites and services, and if you choose DRM-free games, you can keep them even if the publisher disappears. However, with PlayStation games, you can only buy them from the PlayStation Store, and you never know when they might be removed. In fact, it has been reported that video content that was once available for purchase on the PlayStation Store has been arbitrarily removed from the library due to licensing agreements between PlayStation and movie studios.

PlayStation is removing user-purchased video content from libraries, including popular titles like 'Terminator 2' and 'The Evil Dead' - GIGAZINE

Popcar supports creators who focus on DRM-free games that can be copied and owned, and encourages people to buy DRM-free games, donate to organizations that preserve games and game-related content, and donate to emulator developers.

Popcar's blog post also became a hot topic on the social news site Hacker News, receiving over 500 comments. Many agreed with Popcar's opinion, stating, 'Purchased items should have the right to be transferred to others and the right to be freely used at any time after sale. This means that if a 'transfer' function is added to the PlayStation Store, or if it is guaranteed that purchased digital games will not become inaccessible later, then the physical disc will not be a problem. This should apply equally to all digital content, such as video games, movies, books, and music.' This has sparked a debate about the purchase and ownership of digital content. On the other hand, many have also expressed the opinion that 'you are only purchasing a license for digital content, and this is different from ownership.'